Ever fancy taking a trip to Russia? This question would usually be unheard of when one looks up a
map and thinks of places to visit. However, with the World Cup around the
corner, a trip to Russia has started to feature as one of the most sought after
destinations this summer. “It is a once in a lifetime kind of trip. We can’t
seem to agree where to meet for our reunions but somehow everyone got excited
about this trip. We would probably head there just for a week and do a lot of
sightseeing and maybe tour other parts of Europe as well,” says Ralph Barreto,
whose friends have already booked the World Cup tickets.
Interestingly, other sporting events and
major international concerts, such as Tomorrowland, an electronic dance music
festival held in Boom, Belgium, have a lot of Goans planning their entire year
around them. “Tomorrowland, for many of us, is a bucket list kind of trip where
we all have to go at least once. It is the mother of all music festivals and
the stories about that place are legendary,” says Kunal Gaitonde, who is
planning to make the trip this year. Not all of these must-visit place are
international; the Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh is a great
crowd-puller.
With places like Barcalona, Greece,
Amsterdam, etc, it is the stories of how legendary these places are that
motivate these holiday plans, whereas other popular destinations like Sri
Lanka, Bali and Bangkok are frequented by Goans often thanks to personal
recommendations. “It is not very expensive as compared to before and there are
destinations like Sri Lanka that are not very far away; these are ideal for
short trips,” says Suzanne Menezes, who has just returned from an all- girl
trip to Colombo.
While these holiday plans may be economical for some, there are
many in Goa who would prefer trips that are easier on the pocket. In fact, a
leisurely weekend trip that would help them unwind and get back to work on
Monday would suffice for them. Here, options such as road trips to nearby touristy
locales or even long bike rides can be explored.
Speaking of road trips, bikers swear by a trip to Leh Ladakh,
which may not be easy but is definitely worth the effort. The hill town of
chilly Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, the Manali valley in the mountains of Himachal
Pradesh, the ‘city of lakes’ Udaipur in Rajasthan and the ruins of Hampi in
Karnataka are some more places Goans choose for their outbound travels.
“Nowadays, you get customised tours that go beyond just sorting
out sightseeing and hotel accommodations. There are activities that are planned
out that help you learn the culture of the place you are visiting, leaving you
with so many memories,” says Haarish Shaikh, who had recently gone on a tour to
Darjeeling, Gangtok and Kalimpong in the North East.
With the wide variety of choices at hand, it is the backpacker
tribe that never ceases to amaze you with the places they visit and the stories
they come back with about the splendour of nature. Kasol, Orchha State,
Pushkar, Varkala, Nubra Valley, Dzukou Valley Bridge, Jibhi, Majuli,
Dhanushkodi, Gurudonmar lake, Rann of Kutch, Spiti Valley are just few of these
places.
“Travelling
just adds so much to your life in terms of experiences and pushing yourself to
do something different from your daily routine and comfort zone. It brings
another dimension to your life; you will miss out on a lot if you do not take
up these exciting adventures. It can grow into a hobby and passion as well. And
with picture sharing a big part of the online culture these days, you find
yourself interacting with so many people who have either been there or want to
go there, and the information shared goes a long way for everyone concerned,”
says Megan Fernandes, who makes a backpacking trip every six months.
